Toy



Sept. 20, 1960 F. J. LIMACHER TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R O we E 4 Wm Z L M a m r 7 Y Z4 awm ATTORNEYS 7 Filed Aug. 30, 1956 p 1950 F. J. LIMACHERV I 2,952,939

TOY

Filed Aug. 30, 1956 2 Sheets5heet 2 INVENTOR '4 f'nzrwasJLzmcer ATTORNEYS United States Patent Cfl ice Patented Sept. 20, 1960 TOY Francis J. Limacher, 2210 Ardmore Ave., Drexel Hill, Pa.

Filed Aug. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 607,049

3 Claims. (CI. 46-66) This invention relates to a toy.

A purpose of this invention is to produce a toy of novel attraction yet of comparative simplicity.

A further purpose of this invention is to provide a sounding toy of especial interest to children.

A further purpose is to provide a toy which will produce sounds which will markedly differ in an interesting way depending upon where it happens to be put, yet is comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further purpose is to provide a toy which will not only produce an interesting sound but will rotate in a strange and interesting way when properly dealt with.

A further purpose of this invention is to provide a way by which people, especially children, can amuse themselves by going from one place to another creating different sounds.

A further purpose is to provide a way by which children utilizing comparatively simple and inexpensive means, can create a variety of interesting sounds, coupled with possibly strange effects.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

A principle involved in my invention is to generate sound by the contact of ball bearings against each other and against the race, amplifying and transmitting the sound by means of a stick on which the ball bearings are placed, and still further amplifying the sound and determining its final character by contact with a structure or surface at the further end of the stick. It further involves the principle of keeping the ball bearings moving and the sound going a considerable period of time by mounting upon them a wheel having a high moment of inertia by virtue of concentration of most of the weight of the wheel near its rim.

My invention is illustrated in the description and drawings by particular embodiments chosen from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the toy of my invention, partly in elevation, partly broken away, and partly in section, and also illustrates the practice of part of the method of my invention.

Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the above toy.

Figure 3 shows a top plan view of the above toy with its removable conical portion removed.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the practice of another part of the method of my invention, in connection with an elevational showing of the toy in the condition of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a showing of a part, broken off, of the embodimeut of Figure 1 in elevation.

Figure 7 is a showing, partly in elevation, partly broken away, and partly in section, of another embodiment of the toy of my invention.

Figure 8 is a showing in elevation, partly broken away, and partly in section, of the distinctive part of still another embodiment of the toy of my invention, at the same time illustrating still another possible feature of my method.

Figure 9 is an elevational view of still another embodiment of the toy of my invention.

The toy of my invention as illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 1, is made up of a stick 11, a wheel 12, mounted on the stick 11 by means of an antifn'ction bearing, preferably ball bearings 13, and a removable flaring element 14.

'In the form of Figure 1, the stick 11 is straight, solid, round, of uniform width except at the end, and preferably is of wood, although it may be of some other material such as plastic or metal. It is desirably about eight to twelve inches long. Around stick 11 toward one end thereof is metal collar 20, upon which to mount the ball bearings and wheel, and, located at the very tip of that end, the stick has a metal cap 21 which is fiat on its end 22, or at least forms a flat annular surface thereon, the fiat end, or fiat annular surface as the case may be, being smooth, and in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the stick, and the cap being desirably of metal. The other end of the stick at 23 is preferably round, or may be pointed as at 24 in the form of Figure 9. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, there is a mark, as for example a line 25, straight across on the round end 23 of the stick.

The metal collar 20 should make tight contact with stick 11 as by a press fit, or by making the stick narrower inside the collar than elsewhere with a shoulder at the end of the collar, and forcing the collar up tight against this shoulder by means of cap 21, or by a wide head screw inserted in the near end of the stick.

Wheel 12 is made of sheet metal, say of 14 gauge, bent around so as to provide a broad, flat outer rim 15, a comparatively narrow flange 16, and a somewhat wider inner portion 17 secured within which is the ball bearing race 18. As shown in Figure 6, the wheel on its outside edge preferably has a segment 26 which is colored in some way so as to contrast in appearance with the rest of the circumference of the wheel. The wheel is desirably about two or three inches in diameter, and, including the bearing, desirably weighs about three or four ounces.

For the ball bearings 13 I much prefer to use what is called in the trade, unground bearings, by which is meant a bearing and race set-up in which the balls and race are in reality highly ground, but to a looser tolerance than the highest grade bearings, the socalled unground bearings being the sort that are used in castors for furniture, for example. The individual balls 13' can be, say, without any lubricant, or they may have a thin lubricant such as might help to prevent rust, but there should be no grease on the bearings.

The position of wheel and bearings on the stick can desira-bly be such that the fiat end of the cap is about oneeighth to three-eighths of an inch beyond the plane of the wheel rim on the side toward the end.

Flaring member 14 is removab-ly mounted upon end 23, and may, for example, as in Figure 1, take the form of a cone with somewhat sharpened narrow end 28 and with .a cylindrical extension 29 at the other the wide end 30, which is open and faces toward the wheel.

The flaring members narrow end 28 is of a size and shape on the inside to fit on the stick at the end 23 just tightly enough so that it will normally stay firmly on the stick without any danger of accident-ally falling off, but can be removed without any great effort if desired. It can desirably be made of metal or plastic.

Another form of wheel, and one which I consider preferable, is that shown in Figure 7, and designated 32, in which the wheel is decidedly thicker in its rim 33 than in its other parts 34, thus concentrating its weight near its rim, and desirably has at least two-thirds of its weight in the aim portion and preferably at least three quarters of its weight in the rim portion. If need be, for convenience in getting this proportion, the intermediate portion or web 34 can be cut away in parts, but it is preferably continuous. The bearing race in such case can be pressed into 'a steel cylinder 35 if desired. Another means of concentrating the weight on the rim would be to weight it with lead.

V In another form iofswheelasshown in Figure 8, the

rim 36Qis concave-ion. its :outer faceas-shown at-'37 thus, faoilit atingthe winding of string 38 around the nm, as ameans of starting up the wheel-at ahigh rate of speed. a

The string might for example be two feet long.

7 As shown in Figure 7, with stick3-9, the stick maybe a thin-walled hollowmember ratherthansolid as in the caseof stick 11. I

The stick may also be shaped to represent or resemble somethingas the case ofstick 40 in Figure9, wh ch" is curved or serpentine inrshapeand has flat proyectmgpieces representing a head, to'represent a form of dragon or snake. p

' As shown in Figure 7, the flaringmember may take the form of flaring member 41, whose narrow end 42 and V collar 42' at the narrow end are just wide enough to fit the stick and thus to be capable of being pushed some little distance in from the end of the stick and to hold at that placeon the stick, with the wide end 43 directed toward .the wheel as before. In this case. the flaring member is purely conical in shape (aside from the collar on the small end), Without any cylindrical extension or the like at thewide end.

In the practice of my method with the aid of 'my toy, V 'as illustrated for example with the form of Figure. l,

1 cause the rotation. The comparative simplicity of the I'hold stick 11 and set wheel 12 to rotating at a high. 7

rate of speed, as by running it quickly along a flat surface, or giving a piece of string wrapped around it a sharp pull to pull it quickly off the wheel.

With the high moment of inertia which the wheel'has by virtue of the heavy concentration. of its weight on the rim, especially in the case of the forms of Figures 7 and 8; it will continue turning at gradually decreasing speed for 20 to 30 seconds before it runs down.

. When the wheel of my toy is thus set in motion, it emits an interesting'sound; This sound may possibly be due to the knocking of the balls or other bearing members one upon another or upon the race. When the flaring member. is on the end of the stick, the sound is tremendously intensified; When a hollow stick is used, the sound is higher in pitch than with the solid stick.

With the wheel turning at a high rate of speed, it is possible to take my toy and place either end against a surface, as shown for example in Figure'4 with the end near the wheel and with Figure 5 with the end ofthe stick away from the wheel, and when this is done, a large variety of different sounds can be obtained depending upon the thingjagainst which it is placed, Thus, the sound will be different either in intensity, pitch or quality, depending upon whether the end is placed against the glass face of a bookcase, the top of a table, a door panel, the face of a drawer, an empty tumbler, a large vase, etc. For example, pressing it onto a cofiee can appears to change its pitch, at'the very least; pressing it into a table cloth on a table appears to change its intensity.

Furthermore, by putting the rotat ng wheel against the edge of a paper or metallic'lainp shade or a glass ,or

ceramic vase, an intermittent sort of a sound, not unlike that a boy' secures by running a stick over a picket fence, can "be-gotten.- a a In addition, the toy can he stood upon its end in the 7, around, without anyone "to turn it, as the turning of the line on its topwill confirm.

Thus,- with the :aid'of this toy,wa child can amuse himself enormously by producingfa wide variety of sounds toy with the aid of which lie-gets all this fun, will heighten the elfect, as well: as making-the toy; comparatively in-' expensive, within the reach of vall.

In view of my inventionand-disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the apparatus and method shown, ,and I, therefore, claim all such insofaras they tall within the reasonable spirit and scope oflmy claims.-

Having thus described my, invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sound-producing toy comprising in combination a straight cylindrical, relatively long and thin, stick having a flat surface on one end 'in a plane-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stick,- a metal collar mountedfixedly upon and surrounding the stick near that end, socalled unground ball bearings mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the collar, a Wheel mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the bearings and having an outside ring in which at least three quarters of the weight of the 1 the .stick.

' 2. A sounding toy comprising an. easily grasped stick shaped to represent an amusing object and having'a flat surface on one end in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stick, a metal collar mounted fixedly upon and surrounding the stick near that end, so-called unground ball bearings mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the collar,.a wheel mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the "bearings and having. an outside ring in which at least two-thirds of the weight of the wheel is concentrated, the collar, bearings and wheel all being located at the same longitudinal position of the stick near the aforesaid end, and a member mounted upon the 7 outside of the stick at a point near the other end of the stick, and flaring out from said point in a hollow, un-

broken, substantially conical shape surrounding the stick, having the same longitudinal axisas the stick, and having its own open end facing in the direction of the firstmentioned end of the stick.

3. A sounding toy comprising an easily grasped stick shaped to representan amusing object and having a flat surface on one end in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal. axis of the stick, a metal collar mounted fixedly upon and surrounding the stick near that end, so-called unground ball bearings mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the collar, a wheel mounted rotatably upon and surrounding the bearings and having an outside ring in which at least two-thirds of the weight of the wheel is concentrated, the collar, bearings and wheel all being located-at the same longitudinal position of the stick near the aforesaid end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jones Mar. 20, 1906 Maurer -a Aug. 28, 1906 5 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,558,384 Pritchard June 26, 1951 K h 2 1920 2,762,162 DUI jail Sept. 11, 1956 Popper 27, 1921 2,778,159 Irwm Ian. 22, 1957 Nicholas et a1. Feb. 6, 1923 OTHER REFERENCES Kerr May 5, 1931 Physics Textbook by Hausmann and Slack, 2nd edition Sanders et a1. Jan. 10, 1950 1939, page 552. 

